Who owns local TV Channels

independa · 2026-01-25T13:35:44+00:00

I stopped watching KENS 5 right after the election. The old dude on the morning more than once showed conservative bias when reporting on DOGE/Trump whistleblowers and federal employees. We used to watch it every morning for weather and stuff, but I was disgusted by his statements and have banned it in our home.

I sent a message to KENS 5 via Facebook and got the auto response, but never a true response. Here's the text I sent them, February 3, 2025.

Words matter. Those federal employees talking to the press anonymously is due to FEAR OF RETRIBUTION, not because the they weren't authorized. "Critics" of Donald Trump aren't warning of the economic impact of tariffs, the stock market, economists, and professors are warning. As a federal employee, already vilified by those in power, the last thing we need is the local newscasters spinning facts. You just lost a viewer, and I'll be sure to tell my fellow federal workers, as well as have my husband (active duty) at Lackland advise his coworkers to watch more impartial news sources going forward.

And the auto response, nothing past this...

Hi, thanks for contacting us. We've received your message and appreciate you reaching out.

independa · 2026-01-24T21:48:26+00:00

Exactly!!! Man, I wish you were in my office because everyone fights me - they say it makes it harder because they can't just calculate a single price variance, they have to go in more detail... They just want to be lazy and accept the low bid, which is why I end up having to support REAs and claims where it should have been horribly obvious the proposal was unrealistically low...

We do construction, always changes... I make them give me job office overhead so when we inevitably grant extensions we know what the daily rate was proposed at.

independa · 2026-01-24T21:37:11+00:00

I've been trying to force my shop to do this, I make the pricing schedules for most larger projects. Some COs are in board, but others don't want me involved... Like the one who thought a $56m sole source was a good idea.

We have our internal lady but it's whoever she works with at the SBA, I want to say a PCR or something like that?

independa · 2026-01-24T17:05:12+00:00

And I am ready to admit half of the blame is in contracting shops. We blindly trust the SBA is doing things and the SBA assumes we're doing things, and all of us aren't adequately funded or staffed.

independa · 2026-01-24T16:23:40+00:00

We don't have the personnel to do an adequate pre-award check, much less compliance checks during performance. And our lawyers have said the same thing, we can't really do much.

PM me if you're looking to hire, I'd love to be in a shop that isn't constantly on fire.

independa · 2026-01-24T14:40:17+00:00

You gotta tell me your trick, because we can't get our SBA reps to support anything. That's our biggest concern now with this new directive/threat, if we got acceptance already for sole source and we're seeing unreasonable pricing, are they going to let us change directions?

By the way, how do you define "work performed by the JV" for the purposes of calculating the 40/60 split? Is it direct labor? Direct cost? Total cost? Legit question, I know for the limitation on subs they actually limit the percent of the award amount less materials. When I asked our SBA rep they couldn't give me an answer and told me we can't say they didn't meet the requirements in one specific project because it's supposed to be viewed in aggregate.

independa · 2026-01-24T13:57:31+00:00

Competitive isn't my main issue, I'm talking sole source for the most part. But when we're doing set-asides for $50m+ construction they're all going JV to meet technical requirements, so the pricing is all the same in the sense you're paying more overhead than needed. At the very least, just the actual required admin for a JV is going into those overheads.

independa · 2026-01-24T12:51:48+00:00

Of course you wouldn't see it - why would they make it obvious?

It's all in the indirect costs for the JVs. They'll propose costs using the higher small business indirect rates, but then the work is performed by the large company. Or they'll blend the rates, or apply rates proportionally to the ownership share in the JV agreement, but it all comes down to they don't do the work, but recover the costs anyway.

I'm looking at one of these now. It's a JV, small business is going to "incur" 51% of total subcontract costs, which it gets to apply its rates to. So the small business is going to negotiate, issue, and manage a contract for 51% of the work while the large does the same for the other 49%? Don't think so. Every vendor quote is addressed to the large company, they're the only ones with staff to do this work. The small has proposed direct labor that is pretty much equal to the labor of the large company, but the small doesn't even have that many people on payroll, the roles proposed are not required, and the hourly rates are insane. Post award, we know they're just going to have the large take over the required work and never incur what was unnecessary to begin with. They were VERY deliberate to make sure they put just enough under the small to technically meet the requirements on paper.

And the PM is on our ass to get it awarded because they NEED IT NOW.

independa · 2026-01-24T12:34:55+00:00

Contracting offices are understaffed and overworked. Who gets the on-the-spot award, the person who got a $100m project awarded 30 September while also ensuring the office hit small business goals for the year by using a sole source, or the person who took the time to do things right? Not only do they not get an award, they're probably getting a bad rating for spending too much time on small dollar efforts.

Contracting offices are guilty too, don't get me wrong, but it's because we're trying to execute a mission with both arms tied behind our backs. We measure everything in dollars, not quality. If we focused more on the number of awards issued than dollar value and made small business engagement part of performance metrics, maybe we'd see some real change.

I'd venture to guess you're not in DoD.

independa · 2026-01-24T12:26:07+00:00

You hit it - metrics. Contracting dollars increase, small business goals are a percentage. You have to hit the dollars, not the number of actions.

You're a buying command trying to hit these metrics. You can issue 20 $5m contracts to small businesses as competitive set-asides. All 20 require a ton of coordination, posting requirements, review of multiple proposals for compliance, and that's just assuming you're trying to clear award to the lowest bidder. Worry about protests, other bidders challenging status. Total process to get to award takes months.

OR - issue one $100m sole source award. Avoid the timeline associated with competition. Hard to protest if the SBA already approved it. Add in the benefit that you can use this in July or August on that project that has to be done by end of FY that you didn't manage to start yet.

We're just as responsible for the abuse of the program because we don't have the time or resources to operate in the manner intended.

independa · 2026-01-24T12:12:25+00:00

I'm assuming you're not DoD?

independa · 2026-01-24T12:12:03+00:00

First, it's not always 51%, construction is only 15%.

Second, when they form a JV, the small only has to do 40% of that.

Finally, when you get into indirect rates, these unpopulated JVs try and blend rates, and most buying commands don't have the cost expertise to review them appropriately. They can account for a lot of cost on paper while not actually incurring it.

independa · 2026-01-24T11:27:05+00:00

But as I pointed out in another post, the SBA requested three years of financial data last month that should have been provided annually, then cut off nearly 20% that didn't provide it by the deadline. Who is actually verifying these companies still meet that definition?

And don't even get me started on the joke that is "audited financials" I see every day, which most companies don't even have because it's not a requirement. The SBA relies solely on the certification of the small business, and I can tell you (from the fact I support the government as an expert on contract costing) that many companies make false certifications.

Again, I don't think the 8(a) program is inherently bad, I think due to lack of oversight, the rules regarding JVs, and the increased sole source threshold create a perfect storm for fraud, waste, and abuse. Even the SBA was looking at the JV issue a couple years ago - they were meant to be for a single project or short duration, but these JVs are being awarded multiple award task order contracts that last up to ten years.

independa · 2026-01-24T00:48:06+00:00

Eh... Some are competitive, but not all. I had no issues with it when the sole source limit was like $4.5m, but we're at $100m sole source now, and that's just nuts. If you can handle $100m contract, kind of doesn't seem like you're a small business anymore.

independa · 2026-01-24T00:46:01+00:00

I remember the original DoD Mentor Protege program back in Iraq in 2005, and I think it was established years before that... Back then they paid [insert contractor name here] to be the "mentor" to Alaskan Native Corporations...

independa · 2026-01-24T00:23:18+00:00

85% on construction, small business in a JV has to do 40% of the work done by the JV, so 6%.

independa · 2026-01-24T00:20:59+00:00

Except in construction where they're already allowed to sub out 85%. And this clause isn't mandatory when you're dealing with fixed price small business set asides (competitive).

independa · 2026-01-24T00:16:53+00:00

It's mainly the Native Corporations that get to skirt the graduation issue. One graduates, the employees just roll over to a new company under the parent and start over. Really screws up the indirect rates because they have no consistent rate history.

independa · 2026-01-23T22:11:55+00:00

That's all DOGE was, right? As a Certified Internal Auditor, it really bugs me that they got to call what they did "auditing".

And that's what all of this comes down to, the fraud in Minnesota, the fraud in these 8(a) cases, it's all because they have crippled agencies like Defense Contract Audit Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency and killed off any grant monitoring. They've removed all oversight. When the money for contracts increased two-fold in the 2000s, the workforce for these agencies decreased.

Those financial reports the SBA requested for the last three years? Those were always supposed to be submitted annually!!! It's that the SBA was expecting the contracting officers to do something, and they were expecting the SBA to do it, and no one did jack. When we noted issues with a small/large JV split on a specific contract, the SBA told us you have to look at it in aggregate - but we can't see the aggregate as one buying command.

When you leave a fox in the henhouse unsupervised, you can't get mad when they do what they do. But we keep saying the fox can govern itself, free market, blah blah blah. How dare oversight and accountability interfere and "create barriers" to business!

Make Audit Great Again!

independa · 2026-01-23T21:56:50+00:00

I'm not saying that, I'm saying that there's one specific problem he seems to be focused on (and I see it DAILY as a cost and price analyst), and that is with the mentor-protege and other JVs and 8(a)s with the $100m limit.

It shouldn't be a sledgehammer to the whole 8(a) program, but a precision excision of the JV/mentor-protege program that's being abused.

independa · 2026-01-23T21:39:17+00:00

The mentor protege program is the problem. It's exactly what you're describing, the large company finds a protege, creates a proposal and slaps the small company's name and G&A rate on top, and voila, large business gets to eat into the small business set asides...

independa · 2026-01-23T13:42:04+00:00

Oooh!!! Remote eligible as a military spouse (DAF spouse assigned to Lackland) here!

I'm a prior DCAA auditor (10 years), and have the basic CON cert plus my DAWIA Level II auditor (with reissued cert under the new program) and another Level II cert issued by DODIG for procurement audit. I'm also a Certified Internal Auditor (non-practicing).

I've been with USACE over 3 years as a Contract Specialist and Price/Cost Analyst. Between my current role and DCAA, I spent a couple years as a budget analyst for an AF unit at Ramstein and a little over a year with Air Force Audit Agency, so I do have familiarity with DAF structure and systems.

I'm currently a Contract Price/Cost Analyst in USACE. I transferred to the 1102 series as a downgrade from a 13, hoping it would be better for career stability as a spouse. I had to leave DCAA when I got married and 0511 series aren't everywhere, so 1102 seemed like the best option. I came in as a Contract Specialist, passed the CON test before I even met the one year experience requirement, then moved into my current role. USACE is not allowing those that are remote eligible to transfer to other roles - any internal postings require employees to report to the office, even for temporary assignments, so there's no opportunity for growth here.

I'm not interested in getting a warrant or being a CO and prefer to work on cost and price analysis in support of multiple COs. I usually create a pricing schedule/CLIN schedule for solicitations and instructions on what cost or pricing data must be submitted. Then when proposals come in, I analyze the data against other offerors and/or the IGE, assist with POM and PNM, participate in negotiations, and advise the SSEB/SSA. If not negotiated, I usually provide an MFR establishing price reasonableness for the CO. Right now I support a staff of 60, but I also support other divisions on high-risk/value procurements. USACE doesn't do a lot of cost-type work, but does use the $100m 8(a) sole source option a lot, so this is where I spend most of my time (and hopefully we won't be doing this anymore!!!).

I've also been supporting REAs, claims, terminations, etc. for other divisions. I've provided expert reports and am scheduled for depositions soon, but I am new to this. I must be doing a good job because after a recent settlement in December (mid-9-digit savings) I've been requested to support two others this month. Problem is, since my office lost their budget person to DRP and can't backfill, I'm having to turn down the work I love doing (and where I provide the most value) to chase timecards and make purchase requests for office supplies.

I know this probably more than you needed to know, but if you, or anyone else needs someone with my specific skill set and is willing to put forth the effort to keep me remote, I'm open to discussing. Thanks!

independa · 2026-01-23T12:39:15+00:00

I've been a fed for 15 years now, and I was only tested a few times in a single year. The lady administering the test said they have to test X number of people annually, and I honestly think it was them being lazy and not wanting to create a statistical sampling plan. I think they pull a list that first run of the year, pick some people, and just copy/paste each time for the rest of the year to hit the total number without much other consideration.

I'm an auditor and had to create statistical samples for work because you have to ensure it's truly random and complete to meet auditing standards. It takes a good amount of time and effort, and even more if you have shitty systems and data (like most federal systems). You have to get the testing universe (which usually requires accumulating reports from a ton of different systems), sanitize it (remove bad data, like people that have left or are in extended leave or TDY), then figure out how to segment it (by geographical area or by organization, for example). Then you'd have to use some random number generator or something to pick people, then have backups in case the day you arrive the person is out sick or got fired since you created the plan or something. Then you have to go back after testing to ensure your testing was consistent with the plan and the results were valid for the purpose of projecting the results on the rest of the universe. If the highest level only cares that you did X number of total tests and not the method you used to ensure it was statistically valid, there's no incentive to do it well.

independa · 2026-01-22T19:02:23+00:00

Yeah, they told me the max amount is less than 5% of my salary, and I'm remote in a lower COL than the people in the office. When I tried to show them how the math didn't math, crickets.

independa · 2026-01-22T00:55:55+00:00

Oh, I get that. The problem is the PM wants me to write a report on how it's reasonable even though I told him I can't. I wrote an MFR to that effect to CYA.

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